Thursday 13 Aug 09

Unseen alien scene

There's an amazing video on the BBC News website.  The story has been bigged up as an 'Alien scene' in reference to the Ridley Scott classic.  I have to say, it's pretty eye-popping.  I think we're conditioned to find slimy creatures repulsive, and when combined with parasitical behaviour - in this case eating the newly hatched unfertilized eggs of the mother frog - then you've hit the gross-out jackpot.  After all these years, isn't it great that something occurring 'naturally' like this has the ability to shock and amaze so many people?  
And don't get me started on the incidental fact that the (highly endangered) frog in question is called a 'mountain chicken frog'.  Why is it called a 'mountain chicken frog'?  A. It's found in the mountains.  And B. It tastes like chicken.  I do believe we've got to the bottom of why it's endangered.